Sez here that reading The Da Vinci Code can convince you conservative Catholic prelature Opus Dei is a "murderous sect," make you believe Jesus was a daddy, and shake your beliefs to their foundations. This, according to a survey of 1,000 British adults conducted by an organization of English Catholics. An organization that wants a "health label" put on the movie. Really? When Doogal was released into the environment without so much as a "Caution: This Movie Will Make Your Children Dumber"?
Yes, I have some problems with this study. First off, it was commissioned by a group of people who stand to benefit from the hysteria it will foment. Second: So the Brits find Da Vinci convincing. So what? British people are notoriously easy to convince. These are the people who find Doctor Who convincing.
The Da Vinci Code convinced me of only one thing: Dan Brown is the luckiest bastard alive.
(Scott foams at the mouth after the jump…)
Seriously, this kind of argument is repugnant. I’m a hair moresusceptible to it when we’re talking about programs aimed at children.But we’re talking about (theoretically) free-thinking adults here! Thevery idea that someone might propose a "health label" on an idea (goodor bad, specious, or airtight) is a humiliating insult to human dignity.
Besides, it’s too damn easy. It seems anyone with a thesis and a fewdozen graduate students can make a "statistical" case for the Big MediaBugbear. Consider these shocking revelations about The Daily Show.Apparently, you watch… and you never vote again. Funny, because Iknow a lot of people who are, if anything, more politically engaged,thanks to The Daily Show. The study cites the (somewhat)equal-opportunity ribbing Stewart and Co. gave both presidentialcandidates, and blames him for eliminating both options and makingpeople feel hopeless about their choices. Well… sorry? Those were our choices.
Knowledge is power, yes. But ignorance is also power. The messagein both of these cases is: More Information is bad because people can’tfilter. It’s the message of every two-bit Taliban that’s ever flickeredacross history’s bigscreen, and I think, ladies and gentlemen, we’vejust got to reject it. Exactly how stupid do they think you are? Prettydamned stupid is the answer. Too stupid to watch a silly summer moviewithout "health labels," at least.
Now, pardon me, I’ve got to go set myself on fire. I saw a cartoon character do it once.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12822855/ Hey whatever.. but if you read the last chapter of the bible whomever changes one word of it’s contents is condemned already.. and Christ is the father of all his children, why would he marry and have more, pray tell. He even left his mother to John.. not a wife and children to take care of.. huh? Besides any who seek and worship after object as if it is God, is wrong.. See Ten Commandments.. The arc is in heaven with God already.. Rev. 11:19 And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ARK of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail. So, having not any understanding what they do with or without a fiction book, to make a movie with no fear of troubles, remember.. this is all bibical.. and makes the movie altogether trash and lies.. in the minds and hearts of those Christians who believe it.
Oh shush, d.c. Its just a movie/novel!
I’m soooooooooo going to see the movie! Its stupid how people are protesting against the movie. They should have done it years ago when the book was released all over the world. XDDD
You go, Scott! VERY well said
God bless all of us, but I have to say that the American public is in many cases not informed enough, not educated enough, and not clear-headed enough to make good choices. Infotainews and pseudo historical movies give people a sense that they are being informed, but they’re not.
I mean, you say that movie goers can judge for themselves and think for themselves, but check out the word of mouth on that moronic cult propaganda flick What the Bleep? Do you know how many people think they understand quantum physics now, after watching that reprehensible dreck? Get an education in physics? No – why should I when I can watch a movie about it and then believe in fairy tales?
Dude – how many states are teaching Intelligent Design now? How many people thought that a Poseidon Adventure remake would be a good idea? How many people bought Uggs? How many people don’t vote at all? How many voters truly understand the implications of the measures and propositions they support?
So why be angry about the Catholics wanting to warn people about the convincing nature of the DaVinci Code – we all know you’re smart and you won’t fall for it. But you’re an elite writer with a public forum. They’re not worried about you. They’re worried about biblical literalists who may be offended and shaken.
And don’t knock the Daily Show study just yet. That’s from a peer-reviewed scientific journal and Sage Publications is a top house. And it’s just the beginning of a scientific conversation. No study is considered to be the definitive answer to any topic. Science doesn’t work that way.
I’m glad you pointed the study out, though, because after the 2004 election, I wondered if all the political humor we were being battered with had a deadening effect on the electorate. It seems now that there is some preliminary evidence to suggest that it did.
I can’t wait to see this movie…. the more they say not to, the more I wanna… is it friday yet, come on, let it be Friday already.
http://www.drudgereport.com/ Critics at Cannes pan it..
‘A stodgy, grim thing’…
‘Hanks was a zombie’…
JEERING, LAUGHTER AT ‘DA VINCI’
CANNES CRITICS LEFT COLD
if a novel can shake your beliefs, your beliefs aren’t very strong in the first place.
way to go Scott Brown, giving this movie more ridiculous publicity. Get off your soap box, put your five cent words (Schadenfreude for instance) back into your hope chest, and please come to the realization that you write for a publication called Entertainment Weekly. Not pretentious-former-comparative-literature-major-who-constantly-reminds us-that-he-does-in-fact-have-a-friend-that-is-a-girl-in-his-Lost-tv-watches-and-that-yes,-has-read-more-than two-books-Weekly. Brown, you are not funny and your writing reads as though you put way too much effort into it. Take a cue from Dalton Ross and stop trying to impress.
Here here!
That Daily Show study is ridiculous. I don’t see why people think we’re being misled if we have negative views about both political parties. The simple truth is that both political parties kinda’ suck at the moment, and we’re basically being asked to choose between the lesser of two evils. Who wouldn’t get dismayed?
I don’t see why the Da Vinci Code needs a “health warning.” That’s just ridiculous. Even a disclaimer is pushing it. If you slap a disclaimer on Da Vinci Code, where does it end? Next thing you know, you’ll have to start putting disclaimers on Star Wars so nobody believes that the Force is real.
Just recently, we’ve seen how ridiculous censorship can become. Scientology censored South Park behind our backs, just because they’re too crazy for anyone to actually agree with their argument against it. It may not seem like much, but it’s a slippery slope. Long story short… people need to leave our ENTERTAINMENT alone. There are much bigger things to worry about.
The response of the Vatican is hilarius, just classic. They are so scared that the sheep might wake up to the fact that they are being played. Not saying that anything in the Da Vinci Code is factual, but the response of the church shows you how a peice of fiction can scare the bejesus out of them. LOL. This reminds of the cartoon controversy, crazy muslims respond with fear and threats to control thier sheep, catholics respond with boycotts, cause they know people don’t fall for fear, threats and torture anymore. I find this whole thing funny really.
Jenn’s venom is so filled with vitriol, I can’t believe the bigotry she displays so openly.
“FACT.” This isn’t the Vatican’s words. It’s Dan Brown’s. He has stated, in the prologue, in numerous interviews, that the book is fact-driven, that the theories suggested are accurate in terms of its religion, history and art, and that the only things fictitious are its characters and plot. That pesky word, “FACT”, is what has raised the ire of the Catholic and most major religions, correctly I might add.
Because when you portray a religious organization with detailed historical roots as covering up major flaws in its belief system, and willing to kill to keep this facts secret–these are outrageous and offensive claims, and if proven false, you will be committing libelous slander.
Again, not a problem, until that stupid word “FACT” has tainted an otherwise good read.
“FACT”–Dan Brown.”FACT”–Dan Brown.”FACT”–Dan Brown.”FACT”–Dan Brown.”FACT”–Dan Brown.”FACT”–Dan Brown.”FACT”–Dan Brown.”FACT”–Dan Brown.”FACT”–Dan Brown.”FACT”–Dan Brown.”FACT”–Dan Brown.”FACT”–Dan Brown.”FACT”–Dan Brown.”FACT”–Dan Brown.”FACT”–Dan Brown.”FACT”–Dan Brown.”FACT”–Dan Brown.
I think that it’s so funny when people freak out over a movie/book. All of the fuss is only giving it more press, which in turn will have more people going out of curiosity.
Oh and by the way when Brown talks about fact-driven… He is talking about the Holy Grail. Not the church’s cover up of Jesus’ “other life”. But let’s think for a second. God forbid the Catholic Church admit they were wrong about something. It is pretty hard to believe that a man of that time did not marry and have children. I’m not saying that he did, I’m saying that there is a possibility. The job of a writer is to make you think that maybe just maybe this could happen and it entertains.
The Catholic Church is making it out to be a conspiracy to take them down. Give me a break. If pedophiles and rapists can’t do it, then some book/movie isn’t going to.
I still have yet to figure out what the deal is with people and this book/movie. It’s a work of fiction. If you go to any bookstore, it’s placed under the fiction section. There have been protests in India and in other non-Christian areas of this world regarding the release of the film. Particularly in India, there have been calls for hunger strikes to stop the movie from being shown. Hunger strikes until the possbility of death. I want to know why these folks are wasting their energy protesting something as trivial as this. We keep hearing on the news about human rights violations around the world, especially in Darfur. Where are the protests about that? There are much more worthy causes than the protesting of a book that some may/might “claim” is true. A lot of authors use the premise of “truth” to give their books more of an edge, doesn’t mean that sensible people should fall for it. And frankly, with the big fuss that fundamentalists are making, this is probably causing more people to question the Da Vinci Code’s claims. Stop shooting yourselves in the foot and offer better outreach to the public if you are so worried!!
Ugh, I’m done now. These protests are making me fear for the future of humanity. So instead, I’ll be praying for these protestors to get a grip on reality.
I’m Roman Catholic, why wasn’t I included? Maybe its because even though I go to church every Sunday and believe in God, I don’t find this work blasphemous. Its just a book. A great read too! You should be strong in your faith so that when doubt is cast you are able to stay strong and be happy with you and your God. So what if Jesus had a wife and kids. Doesn’t change who he is and what he’s done for mankind. I wish the vatican could use this as an opportunity to educate the mass instead of condemning those who watch the movie or read the book.
What I find most interesting about the controversy is that the DaVinci Code is based on the belief that Jesus was the real deal. You can’t tell me the church isn’t loving every minute of it – they’ve got to be feeling the pressure to get bums in seats, ’cause 10% of nothing won’t pay the lawyers to defend them against the sexual abuse charges . . .